Asphalt composition roadways become damaged due to wear and seasonal changes. The damage is usually in localized areas, however, so complete replacement of the roadway surface does not become necessary for an extended period of time. The damaged areas instead are typically repaired by hand, using cold or hot mix asphalt compositions.
The typical repair is made using a truck for delivering the premixed composition to the damaged area. Several workers then shovel the material from the truck and into the damaged areas. The workers use their shovels to roughly level the loose patch material within the damaged area. The roughly leveled material is then roll pressed. Such patching takes a considerable amount of time and is a tedious job for the workers. This is especially true when shoulder patching is required. Shoulder patching involves is a patching process that extends often for long stretches of the roadway where the shoulder of the hardened roadway surface has been damaged or broken. The workers must move along behind a moving truck, shovelling the material into the damaged shoulder area and leveling the fill material as they move forwardly. The full length of the patch area is then rolled to press the roughly leveled material into the damaged shoulder area to complete the repair.
Modern "sanding" trucks are used extensively for treating icy roadway surfaces during cold weather months. These trucks typically include a forwardly dumping bed for receiving sand and chemicals. The bed may include a forward chute discharge that is situated to one side of the bed and ahead of the rear wheels. The material is discharged as the bed is tipped forwardly. The sand discharged through the chute can be spread across the roadway surface and simultaneously provide traction for the truck as it moves along. The forward dumping capability and discharge chute is not used during the warmer seasons. Instead, the truck can be used as a typical rearward dumping truck so long as provisions are made for hoisting the dump bed rearwardly. There is a need to decrease the time and labor required for roadway patching procedures. There is also a need to make maximum use of roadway treating equipment such as the above mentioned "sanding" trucks. The present invention, as will be seen below, fulfills both these needs.